Samuel Jackson Bucklin, known in the Erie hip hop community as “Buck Jackson” developed his radio show, “Real Talk & Hip Hop” through incorporation of live guests, hip hop of every type and, of course, real talk.

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His show, which began three semesters ago, includes both serious conversation and all varieties of hip hop. Each week, Bucklin pulls inspiration from all facets of hip hop culture--whether this be fashion, different types of hip hop fans, underground artists and especially topics gaining attention on Twitter. This versatility, Bucklin recognized, is what makes representation of hip hop on the radio necessary.

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“I think it’s an interesting genre of music because of the fact that there’s so much to talk about with it and there’s such an enormous culture about it that’s specific to just a hip hop culture.  It’s kind of more than a genre of music if you want to get down to it. I think it’s really important to put that on the radio because it’s always going to have an audience,” he stated. “I listen to everything from old school to new school stuff to even local Soundcloud people so I wanted to do a combination of all the different types of hip hop. And I don’t have any restrictions.”

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However, one main aspect of Bucklin’s show is the inclusion of live guests.  At the show’s beginning, he featured a few of his friends.  However, as the show grew, and as Bucklin established his place in the Erie hip hop community, local Soundcloud artists began approaching him for a feature on the show.  A frequent guest on the show is a current Behrend student who Bucklin has known since high school. Going by the name Jewels Fiction, the artist helped Bucklin gain connections in the Erie community; because his friend convinced Bucklin to turn his love of poetry into rap, Bucklin’s Twitter gained popularity.  From there, local artists approached Bucklin for a feature on his show.

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The incorporation of guests is vital for content, as Bucklin typically plays the artist’s recorded music, engages them in serious discussion about hip hop culture and even allows guests to freestyle.

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Giving these artists a platform is one of the most rewarding features of his show, according to Bucklin.

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“It’s kind of cool seeing how excited the guests are coming into the studio, and they're like ‘oh my God, this is my first studio experience,” he stated. “Even though we’re not a legitimate studio, it’s still  cool to put yourself in their shoes and be doing something out of the ordinary for once.”

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Bucklin came to Behrend with an interest in business and a plan to acquire a degree in Marketing.  Recognizing that he cared more about building relationships, he realized that his passions would instead be better suited to  different degree and is now a senior communications major, pursuing a Public Relations certificate.  However, though Bucklin began his involvement with radio as a requirement for his major, his love for the genre began far before he came to Behrend.

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For the majority of his adolescence, Bucklin was discouraged from listening to rap by his parents. Though he listened to a variety of other genres from rock and roll to jazz, Bucklin connected with hip hop as he began high school.

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“Then, when I was about 15, I started listening to artists like Tupac and Wu-Tang Clan and some real old school stuff that wasn’t so much like the mainstream hip hop stuff,” said Bucklin. “I think the first song that really changed my opinion about hip hop was ‘Changes,” by Tupac.  I was just really moved by it.  I thought, ‘Wow, this is not just a really well-written song, but there’s all these elements of poetry that I learned about in school.’ I’d never heard that type of free verse before with rock and roll.  Everything was just more artsy and laid out--more raw poetry, I guess you could say.”

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From there, his love of the genre grew into what it is now:  a passion for music that manifests itself not only through his weekly radio show but through his presence in the Erie community.

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Catch Bucklin’s show every Wednesday night from 9:30 - 10:30 p.m. on TuneIn Radio.